Fertilizer injector



Dec. 26, 1961 J. F. KEYSER ETAL FERTILIZER INJECTOR Filed May 8, 1959 GBINVENTORS JOHN C. ZEYSEQ..

@JAMES T. W\\.5ON

ATTQQMEYS,

` 3,014,443 'y FERTILIZER INJECTR John F. Keyser and .lames T. Wilson,both of 4402 Trail Lake Drive, Houston, Tex. Filed May 8, 1959, Ser. No.812,045 1 Ciaim. (Cl. 11i- 92) This invention relates to an improvedmanual injector for solid particle fertilizer.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a more easily used andoperated injector of this kind which is more serviceable and emcient inoperation, and which includesgmeans for positively determining amountsof fertilizer to be injected into the ground, and means for keepingclear of earth the bores made by the injector'for reception offertilizer from the injector until the injector has been withdrawn fromthe ground.

Another object of the invention is to provide an injector of thecharacter indicated above which is unusually light in weight, uncomplexin construction, is composed of a small number of simple and easilyassembled parts, and which can be made-in rugged and durable forms atrelatively low cost. l Otherimportant objects and advantageous featuresof the invention will become apparentfrom the following description vandthe accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes Vof illustration only,a specific form of the invention is set' forth in'detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a device of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical transverse section takenthrough FIGURE l, showing the injector rod in locked position;

' FIGURE 3 is a further enlarged fragmentary vertical 'transversesection taken on the line 3 3 of FIGURE 1; FIGUREA is an enlargedhorizontal section taken on Vthe line 4-4of FIGURE 2, showing themeasuring and ldispensing disc in measuring position in full lines andin dispensing position in phantom lines; and

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view, partly vbroken away andinsection, showing the component parts of the device separated. Y

" Referring in` detail to the drawings, wherein like nuinerals designatelike parts throughout the several views,

4the illustrated device comprises a closed hopper 10, preferably in theform of a vertically elongated, tubular openended casing l2, preferablyof square cross section, having internal peripheral flanges 14 and 16 atits upper and lower ends, respectively. The upper end of the hopper isclosed by a removable cover plate 18, secured upon the upper flange 14.The cover plate 18 has therein a central circular opening 2G.

Removably securedV to the underside of the cover plate 187 andregistered with the openingl 2li isa rod lock 24 which comprises avertical cylinder 26 having a lateral annular ange 2S' on its upper endwhich is provided with threaded holes-3l) to receive studs 32 whichextend downwardly through holes 34 provided on the cover plate v18around. theV opening 20. The studs 32 also extend downwardly throughholes 36y in thelateral flange 33 ofV a rodl guide 4@ whereby the guideis fixed in place upon the upper side of the cover plate i8, with itsround bore arent iee '42 registered with the opening 20 and with a roundvertical axial bore 44 which extends through the rod lock cylinder 26.

The rod lock 24 is provided with a compound slot 46 which involves anupper radial portion 48 which extends outwardly from the bore 44 to theouter edge of the frange 2S, a vertical portion 50 which extends fromthe bore 44 through a side of the cylinder 26, and a closed chordallower portion 52, at the lower end of the vertical portion 5G, and whichextends in a clockwise direction around the cylinder 26 from the portion50.

Rotating and sliding through the rod guide and the rod lock 24, andcentered in the opening 2li of the top plate '18, is a vertical injectorrod 54 which is composed of a polygonal, preferably square upper section56, smaller in diameter than the opening 20, and a smooth round lowersection 5S. The rod sections can be permanently secured together attheir meeting ends, or threadedly connected together, as by a stud 6G onthe upper section 56 threaded into a socket 62 in the upper end of thelower section 5S. the vupper rod section 56 is long enough to put itslower end on a level below the lower end of the hopper casing 12, andthe lower rod section 58 is long enough to put its lower end below thelower end of an injector tip, in the depressed position of the injectorrod 54.

On and projecting laterally from the upper rod section S6 is a lockingpin 64 which is located thereon, so that in the elevated position of therod S4, the pin can be freely rotatedV in the opening 26 in the space 66between the upper end of the rod lock 24 and the rod guide 4l). Forrotating the injector rod 54 and for elevating and depressing the same,the rod 54 has xed on its upper end, above the guide 4G, a wheel 68. Foryieldably urging the rod 54 upwardly and for giving the pin 64frictional retention in the lower chordal portion 52 of the slot 46 whenpositioned therein, a helical spring 70 is circumu posed on the rod 54and is compressed between the wheel 68 and the rod guide 4i). Y

The part of the square upper section 56 of the injector rod slidesnon-rotatably in the squared bore 72 of a tube '74 which has fixed onits lower end a measuring and dis- Y pensing disc '76, which is smallerin diameter than the hopper casing 12. Engaged with the lower side ofthe lower casing ange 16 is a Square hopper bottom plate 78 having acentral opening 80 passing the tube 74 and having therein an arcuateconcentric slot 82. The top of the disc 76 is in bearing relation to theunderside of the bottom plate 78, and the disc 76'is held up in place bya squarey dispensing plate S4 which is provided with a central openingS6 which is larger in diameter than, and freely passes the lowerinjector rod section 58.

The dispensing plate 84 isv held up in place and assern bled to thelower end of the hopper casing 12 by a downwardly tapering funnel 88, ofsquare cross section, having a flange 96 around'its upper end `whichforms a; receiver for the lower end of the casing, and, with the upperend of the funnel side wall 92, forms an internal shoulder 94 whichsupportably engages the. dispensing plate 84 at-its edges. Suitablemeans, such asV screwsA 95 secure the VIange 99 to the casing 12.

The arcuate ,slotV 82 of the hopper bottomy plate '78 is As indicated inFIGURES 2 and 3,

the slot 82. The dispensing plate 84 is provided with a similar arcuateslot 98 which is located diametrically opposite the bottom plate slot82. In the dispensing plate 84, at opposite sides of and spaced from theends of its slot 82, are two arcuate rows 100 and 102, of spaced holeswith which the slot 96 of the disc 76 is sometimes wholly or partiallyregistrable.

rfhe funnel 88 terminates at its lower end in a thickened tubular boss104 having in its lower end a socket 106 to receive the upper end of aninjector Vtube 166, secured in place by suitable means, such as a setscrew 108. The socket 106 opens at its upper end into a reduced diameteraxial bore 118 which opens through the upper end of the boss 184 andwhich is larger in diameter than the lower injector rod section 58. Across bar handle 112, for use in withdrawing the device from the ground,and is Steadying the device when being thrust into the ground, issecured, at its midpoint, as indicated at 114, to a band 116 whichextends around the boss 104 and is secured thereto, as by the set screw108.

The injector tube 106 has fixed in and extending belov.I its lower end aground-piercing point or tip 118, which is shorter than the rod lock 24,is preferably of solid cross section, and is provided with an axial bore120 through which the lower injector rod section 58 slides, to exposeits point 12-2 below the lower end 124 of the tip 118. The tip isdownwardly tapered to its lower end 124 and has an external groove 126at its upper end into which the material of the injector tube 106 can becrimped, as indicated at 128, to hold the tip 118 in place. In the upperend of the tip 118 is an enlarged and downwardly tapered mouth 12.9whose side wall 131 tapers from the side wall of the injector tube tothe tip bore 121), so as to eliminate any possible arrestation offertilizer at the point whereat the injector tube 106 communicates withthe bore of the tip.

A cross bar 130 is adjustably secured at its midpoint on the lower partof the injector tube 106, as by means of a strap clamp 132, and isadapted to be adjusted along the tube 106, relative to the tip 118, toserve as a stop for engaging the ground, so as to limit penetration ofthe point 118 to the desired depth below the ground surface; and toserve as a foot rest for driving the point 118 into the ground. Dryfertilizer, in the form of granules or powdered, is introduced into thehopper 10, through an opening 134 provided in the upper part of the sidewall of the hopper casing 12, which is closed by a hinged door 136.

In operation, before filling the hopper with fertilizer, the injectorrod 54 is positioned, by means of the wheel 68, by pushing the wheel 68down, against the resistance of the spring 70, until the pin 64 movesdown through the slo-t 46 in the rod lock 24 and reaches the lowerchordal portion 52 and engages therein so that the slots and holes inthe top plate 78, the disc 76, and the bottom plate 84 are out ofregistry with each other, and thereby closed to passage of fertilizerfrom the hopper 10 into the injector tube 106, and hence to the tip 118.After filling of the hopper 10, the wheel 68 is then turned, in aclockwise direction so as to release the pin 64 from the slot portion 52and slide it up and out of the slot 46 and into the opening 20 in theplate 18. The wheel 68 is then turned clockwise until the dispensing andmeasuring disc slot 96 is registered with the top plate slot 82, so thatfertilizer falls into and fills the space defined by the disc slot 96and the bottom plate 84. It is this filling of the disc slot 96 thatconstitutes the charge of fertilizer to be dispensed and injected by thedevice in a single injection cycle or operation. To vary this charge itis necessary to change the disc 76 for a similar disc having a largercapacity slot 96, either by enlarging or reducing the size of the slotor by enlarging or reducing the thickness of the disc 76. To this end,the device 10 can be provided with a number of different dises 76.Suitable indicator means (not shown) is adapted to be applied to thehandle 68 and the hopper cover plate 18, for indicating when thedispensing and measuring slot 96 is and is not registered with the topplate slot 82.

With a charge of fertilizer confined, as above described, in the discslot 96, the handle 68 is then rotated one-half turn clockwise, so thatthe slot 82 in the top plate 78 is closed by the disc 76, and the discslot 96 registers with the bottom plate slot 98, so that the chargefalls into the injector tube 106 and reaches the mouth 129 of the tip118. Whenever it is desired to put more than one charge of fertilizerinto the injector tube, the above described change-producing operationsare repeated the desired number of times.

To inject the fertilizer present in the injector tube 106 and resting inthe upper end of the tip 118, to the desired depth in the ground, thestop cross bar 130 is adjusted to the proper position along the tube 106and clamped in place. The handle 68 and rod 56 are then pusheddownwardly and the tip 118 is then contacted with the ground surface andfoot pressure is applied upon the bar 130, so as to drive the tip 118and the tube 106 into the ground until the bar 130 makes stop engagementwith the ground surface and is held thereat. Thereupon, the handle 68 ispulled upwardly to its extreme elevated position so that the lower end122 of the injector rod 54 is above the tip 118 and the fertilizer canfall through the tip bore 120. Thereat the rod 54 is pushed downwardly,by means of the handle 68, so that the lower rod section 58 acts as aplunger and forces the fertilizer downwardly out of the tip bore 120into the ground hole made by the tip 118. As this is done, the handle 68is rotated clockwise so that the pin 64 enters and is frictionallyretained in the chordal portion 52 of the rod lock slot 46, whereuponupward pull on the wheel 68 pulls the device out of the ground and setsthe same for another injection operation.

Although there has been shown and described herein a preferred form ofthe invention, it is to be understood that the invention is notnecessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in thestructure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof arecontemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined bythe appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a manual injector for granular fertilizer, a hopper having an openupper end and an open lower end, an injector tube having an open upperend connected to the lower end of the hopper, said injector tube havinga tubular ground-piercing tip on its lower end, a cover closing theupper end of the hopper, a bottom plate closing the lower end of thehopper, an injector rod, said tip having a bore smaller in diameter thanthe bore of the injector tube, said rod slidably and rotatably workingthrough said cover, said bottom pfate, and the bore of the tip, anoperating handle on said rod above the cover plate, a second tubesurrounding a limited portion of said rod above said bottom plate andextending rotatably through said bottom plate, the rod being slidablythrough said second tube, means connecting said second tube and said rodfor rotation together, a dispensing disc fixed on the lower end of saidsecond tube and engaged with the underside of said bottom plate, saidbottom plate and said dispensing disc having dispensing slots adapted tobe registered with each other, a funnel having a larger open upper endfixed to the lower end of the hopper, said funnel having a smaller lowerend to which the upper end of the injector tube is fixed, a dispensingplate fixed in the upper part of the funnel and engaged with theunderside of the dispensing disc, said dispensing plate havingdispensing opening means out of registry with the dispensing slot of thebottom plate, said rod being rotatable to position the slot of thedispensing disc, at times in registry with the bottom plate slot andpart of the opening means of the dispensing plate, retracting springmeans acting between the handle and the cover plate and normallyelevating the rod out of the bore of said tip, and a rod lock mounted onthe cover plate, said rod lock having a bore through which the injectorrod is slidably journalled, said lock having a vertical slot openingcommunicating with the lock borey and having a lateral slot portion atits lower end, 5

- the rod having a pin engaged in the slot and adapted to be engaged inthe lateral slot portion only in the depressed position of the injectorrod, said cover plate having an opening larger in diameter than andreceiving the injector rod in which said pin is rotatable in theelevated 10 position of the injector rod.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS KetchumMay 12, 1857 Dyer Aug. 23, 1870 Wabers Feb. 18, 1908 Schakel Sept. 20,1932 Cromer Oct. 28, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany May 10. 1902 GreatBritain June 22, 1905

